Newstrack: Ayodhya deepotsav spectacle, UP narrative war, PDA-Hindutva clash before 2027 polls
India Today ·
Ayodhya is set to celebrate a record-breaking Deepotsav with plans to light over 30 lakh earthen lamps across Ram Ki Paidi and 56 ghats along the Sarayu river in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Vice President of India. Around 35,000 volunteers are placing diyas for the milestone event, alongside laser light shows. Against this cultural backdrop, political parties are gearing up for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. The Samajwadi Party has introduced posters featuring Lord Krishna alongside Akhilesh Yadav while championing its PDA outreach, highlighting civic and farmer concerns such as sugarcane pricing and employment. Meanwhile, the BJP focuses on law and order improvements, governance track records, and outreach among non-Yadav OBC and non-Jatav Dalit voters, while trading sharp barbs over faith narratives, vote revision discrepancies, and electoral rolls.